First musical instruments

[Surfer_Rosa]

I figured someone should talk some heat off cool1, and start a question-y thread of their own.

So, what did you start off playing music on?

GO

[Stroopy121]

a westfield bass which I sold when I got my mexican fender jazz. wish I'd kept it now tbh.

don't get me wrong it was awful but there's something sentimental about owning the first instrument you ever had.

anyone out there still have their first instrument? (boom..)

Also, surfer, when you start these threads you're menna answer the question yourself too, get the ball rolling.

xx

[Soda Jerk]

I had a Roland keyboard when I was about 9, which I could never play. Just used to make drum sounds with it. Then I got some horrid plain black Encore guitar. It was strat shaped, but wasn't a strat. The body was alot smaller than a Strat too. It was shit and the strings kept breaking at the saddles, so could really learn how to play it. Couple of years later, I got a Yamaha super strat thing. Possibly from the Argos. I loved it. I gutted it, gave it a paint job and stuck an EMG81 in it and used it for years.

No idea where it is now. Think I left it at my old bandmates house, who has moved house since. Probably got binned.

[Adam Easy Wishes]

18 months old - Bontempi organ

5 years old - piano

6 years old - violin

16 years old - bass guitar

8-)

[Surfer_Rosa]

Also, surfer, when you start these threads you're menna answer the question yourself too, get the ball rolling.

Yeah, I wasn't sure if people would be up for more questions on the forum today, and I'd end up having the lone contribution to the thread.

But that hasn't happened, so: I got a Ridgewood acoustic in a really cheap, pretty minging sunburst from R&B when I was about 13/14. It didn't sound like a decent acoustic, but had quite a nice deep bassy sound to it which I quite liked. Plus I think starting on a steel string acoustic helped my fingers strengthen up more quickly than if I'd started on an electric. I still have it, though it's at my parent's house just now.

I did try to teach myself on the old piano we had in our house a few years earlier, but I didn't stick at it.

[Lemonade]

Proper proper first?

Started in primary 1. I was right good at it.

I started playing piano when I was 5, then got a Casio keyboard when I was about 8. I can't really play piano any more, well I can a bit but I need a fuckload of practice, which I never do.

Then when I was 15 my parents bought me a Strat copy (by Tanglewood), which I fucking loved, learned to play on and even played a few gigs with. My nephew has it now.

[Jaaakkkeee]

I think everyone had a quick blow on a recorder it some point in primary school.

After that I got a ridgewood electric bass when i was 15. Got lessons for almost a year. Bought an Ibanez. Quit when I had to pay for lessons myself but still stuck at bass. Joined ATM when I was 17 and got progressively better. Started mucking about with synths and lsdj at that point too. Didn't have a clue though.

My girlfriend also bought me an ibanez acoustic bass.

For the past year and a bit I've been playing a shitty strat copy i got off ebay. Power chords and chugging though. Try getting me to play a chord with the root note on high d string and I'll shit myself.

I've also been getting into producing a lot more heavily as of late. Started playing with ableton a year ago but really trying these past few months.

[givemeasmile]

Red squire bullet strat from costco, still have it. Weird to think I have now had a guitar for almost a decade. The scratchplate isn't white anymore it's more yellow-ish, stays under my bed and has "CRANK 2 11" volume knobs on it. RAWK!

[Pierre Von Mondragon]

A 50 quid piece of shit with amp from Sandy's Sale Shop, Torry, in 1983, then a Satellite 10th rate LP Junior alike in 85, it wasn't till I got a Tokai distortion pedal that shit got, and I quote, real.

[Old Gold]

First guitar was an old Aria Pro II superstrat, which still lives at my folks'. It's got one of them horrible dive-bomb-y bridges, but it's a nice transparent red colour. Stock pickups are rubbishhh. Absolutely no use for it, but I doubt I'd sell it.

My first acoustic was a 2nd hand Yamaha beginners acoustic, which I still use instead of a much nicer, more expensive guitar I bought a few years ago.

[MichaelCRobertson]

i started learning guitar from a few of my mates, the would just show me a few chords and i'd strum away on their guitars, about a year later my dad gave me his mexican fender strat and mosrite bass, still own both of them, strat is probably my main guitar and my dad got drunk one night and went pete townsend on the bass, the neck is in about 3 pieces and everything else was just taken apart

[jon]

Piano - Saxophone - Bass - Guitar.

I'm a hell of a jazz quartet.

[ZeromiserY]

I started off on the fucking euphonium

I wanted to play sax but I was fat and the music tutor took advantage of this and made me play that big stinky brass fucker for 2 years.

[neepheid]

I played recorder in primary school, like so many other people. I left in P7 because I was the last boy left in recorder group, at that time that simply wouldn't do.

A bit later I got an Epiphone LP Special (the cheapest bolt on LP thing Epiphone make), but I didn't stick at it and it got forgotten and eventually sold.

In 2003 I bought my first bass - an Epiphone EB-3 bass on a whim, which became a nice ornament for nearly 5 years before I finally buckled down and got some actual playing done. Discovered I wasn't awful, joined a band and continued to develop and refine a strange taste for Gibson basses

[Moose]

I had a Peavy bass guitar for about 6 months when I was about 14/15. Could never be assed playing it so I sold it on (to Trigger on here, for a 25 profit...)

I was always way more into playing the drums. i used to play on Shaki's old kit until my 18th when I got my Premier Cabria. Bloody brilliant kit, except the toms go out of tune really easily. I had a set of Paiste 502s also which were ok, but ultimately pretty shit.

I now play a spot of guitar as well. I got a beautiful Verdi electro-acoustic with a nice wee cutaway from R 'n' B for my 21st. Really like this guitar.

[Shaki]

I had a Peavy bass guitar for about 6 months when I was about 14/15. Could never be assed playing it so I sold it on (to Trigger on here, for a 25 profit...)

I was always way more into playing the drums. i used to play on Shaki's old kit until my 18th when I got my Premier Cabria. Bloody brilliant kit, except the toms go out of tune really easily. I had a set of Paiste 502s also which were ok, but ultimately pretty shit.

I now play a spot of guitar as well. I got a beautiful Verdi electro-acoustic with a nice wee cutaway from R 'n' B for my 21st. Really like this guitar.

Have you blocked out your memory of playing the recorder? You were the worst recorder player north of the Dee. I remember you practicing in your room while Mum and I sat in the living room with the volume down on the TV laughing hysterically.

I was pretty nifty at the recorder although I remember going into Aberdeen to pass some grade and being so nervous I dropped it twice.

I started drumming on an old Oympic by Premier when I was 14 before getting a Pearl Forum kit when I was 20. I have a cheap classical and electric which are more decorative than anything these days despite neither of them looking nice. Me and Nic still take them out after a few wines and try out our 'harmony' vocals.

[Alan Cynic]

Accordion (not for too long though), then a dreadful nameless acoustic, then a Columbus bass from Middleton's Music.

[Alphas]

I played violin at school for a couple of years. Wasn't too keen on it, mainly due to a pushy teacher, but I'd be keen to see if I can still play.

Got into playing the guitar through buying a cheap classical acoustic when I was 21 and then bought a Squier Strat to continue to learn on. I ended up being very sentimental with the strat and still have it. On top of this I own an Epiphone 335 and an Art and Lutherie acoustic.

Started playing the bass when I was asked to play a one off gig in a band at my old work. Apparently in acquiring one I got mugged off by Moose so he can expect a kick in the vagina next time I see him! That said, this move got me into playing in bands and without it I would probably not have got as involved. Now play a Fender Jazz and considering adding another bass to the collection soon.

So to answer the question...the violin.

[Chris]

Borrowed an ancient spanish guitar belonging to my auntie for a while to practice some riffs that a friend taught me when I was 13 and got a squire strat for christmas when I was 14.

Don't use the strat anymore, think it's still in a cupboard at my folks but I do still use the leather Marilyn Monroe strap that I got with it, 16 years that's been going for!

[Skacel]

I used to play one of these bad boys in the school concert / jazz bands:

[Graham]

A peavey Predator electric guitar when I was 10. Really nice American made Strat copy. I remember I tried to "age" it with a screwdriver after seeing a picture of Stevie Ray Vaughan and his guitar. Sold it a couple of years later to fund another guitar. Always regretted it.

A couple of years ago I got an Ebay account and did a search to see if I could find one similar. One came up on the first search that was the same colour. Put a bid on it and won the auction. When it arrived I noticed it had the EXACT same scratches I had made as a 10 year old some 11 years earlier, so I was reunited with my first guitar!

Its still just as nice as I remembered and the previous owner replaced the single coil at the bridge with a humbucker, which I actually prefer. I'm chuffed to bits to have it back!

[fatboy]

I started playing guitar in primary 4, I had a kiddies acoustic guitar. Didn't really stick to it once my parents moved to the sticks, because the new school didn't have an open guitar class like Skene Square did plus I got special attention because the teacher knew my grandfather and often played with his band, so that made it slighlty more enjoyable.

Would love to learn how to play guitar again, it's just finding the time to commit.

Mr Clelland or fitever his name was said to my mother i would never learn to play guitar

this was from his experiences of me in the open guitar lessons, I had some 3/4 size acoustic/nylon string thing~!

my mind couldn't really grasp what was being taught and i had no dexterity in my fingers, also simply i wasnt ready and wasnt interested, obla dee obla da, D7!!!!

argh i dont even know basic chords!!!

fast forward to a few months before i was 17, ended up buying a second hand cherry red squier strat and a marshal ms-2, bought total guitar every month and taught myself from scratch

year later i bought the dreaded epiphone les paul special 11

6 months later had a tax rebate and bought a high end squier strat and modified the pickups

8 years later i'd like to go jam wi mr clelland lol

my first ever "instrument" was this

oh hey

bontempi all the way :

[Moose]

Have you blocked out your memory of playing the recorder? You were the worst recorder player north of the Dee. I remember you practicing in your room while Mum and I sat in the living room with the volume down on the TV laughing hysterically.

I was pretty nifty at the recorder although I remember going into Aberdeen to pass some grade and being so nervous I dropped it twice.

I started drumming on an old Oympic by Premier when I was 14 before getting a Pearl Forum kit when I was 20. I have a cheap classical and electric which are more decorative than anything these days despite neither of them looking nice. Me and Nic still take them out after a few wines and try out our 'harmony' vocals.

I may have sucked at the recorder, but my chops shit all over yours...

[Skubbs]

Mr Clelland was a fucking tube, helping the kids climb fences etc... but it was the female teacher I remember. To be honest, I don't remember much of the classes other than playing a Supergrass song in assembly.

I know the guitar was bought from RnB, in their old shop. I also remember moaning like fuck for a keyboard as it looked much cooler.

[captain burrito]

First instrument I owned was a Hohner harmonica. Have no recollection as to why or even where it came from.

In secondary school, my art teacher had lined his class room with guitars. One day I cheekily asked if I could take one home and he gave me a half decent acoustic.

Bought a cheap les paul copy 2nd hand from a chum. Sold it [for a profit no less] so I could pay for a ticket to visit my girlfriend at the time who stayed in another city. Wish I hadn't done that.

Got a bass one year for Christmas and never looked back. Can still string a few power chords together on guitar, but feel much more at home playing bass.

My Mum played guitar when she was a teenager, but she gave it up after a few years. Wish she hadn't, things could have been so different. I'm the only one in my family who plays an instrument.